SCSC UNIT 3

Ch. 3 and 14

youngest soils

Soils with no B horizon (Only A&C) with a potentially weakly developed B horizon

Fairly young Soils

Soils found in arid climates with Bk, By, Bz horizons (id), volcanic, frozen, or organic soils.

Moderately developed

Grassland/prarie soils, shrink/swell soils, savannah soils, or coniferous forest soils.

Well-developed soils

forest soils with Bt horizon (moderately high to low base status) or tropical soils with Bo horizons (low base status oxisols)

Soil formation reactions

Transformations, translocations, additions, losses

Humid climate transformation

Arid to semi-arid transformation

Semi-arid to subhumid climate transformation

Humid Sandy, acidic parent materials

Elluviation

Process of removing minerals from the soil in the zone of elluviation (E horizon)

Illuviation

the accumulation of minerals in the zone of illuviation (B horizon)

Subordinate distinctions

Distinctive features of each horizon designated by lowercase letters

Oi

slightly decomposed (fibric)

Oe

moderately decomposed (hemic)

Oa

well decomposed (sapric)

Ap

Plowing disturbance

Bw

no acumulation, weakly weathered

Bt

acumulation of clay

Bo

acumulation of iron and aluminium oxides

Bhs

accumulation of humus, iron and Al oxides

Btn

accumulation of clay and sodium

Bk

Accumulation of carbonates

By

accumulation of gypsum

Bss

Accumulation of slickenslides

Epipedon

diagnostic surface horizon (O, A)

Endopedon

diagnostic subsurface horizon (E, B)

Diagnostic horizon

horizons with specific properties that help with classification

moisture regime

classify the soils ability to supply plants with water

temperature regime

classify soils mean annual temperature

map unit

a collection of areas that have the same soil components

area of interest (AOI)

region that you identify to evaluate soil properties

Mollic

An epipedon in the A horizon with dark, thick and soft soil. has HIGH bases

Umbric

An epipedon in the A horizon with dark, thick, soft soil. has LOW bases

Ochric

An epipedon in the A horizon that is light and shallow

Histic

An epipedon in the O horizon that is dark, thick and completely organic

Albic

An endopedon in the E horizon that is white in color

Cambic

An endopedon in the new B horizon with no illuviation (Bw)

Argillic

An endopedon with high bases (Bt)

Kandic

An endopedon with low bases (bt)

Oxic

An endopedon with oxides (Bo)

Spodic

An endopedon with humus and oxides leached below an E horizon (Bhs)

Calcic

An endopedon with carbonates (Bk)

Petrocalcic

An endopedon with carbonates and is massive (Bkm)

Gypsic

An endopedon with gypsum (By)

Petrogypsic

An endopedon with gypsum and is massive (Bym)

Salic

an endopedon with salts (Bz)

Natric

An endopedon with clay and sodium (Btn)

Duripan

An endopedon cemented by Silicon (Hardpan)

Fragipan

brittle hard pan

Entisol

Ent order that is a baby soil

Surface - Ochric

Inceptisols

Ept - beginning of soil profile development

surface - ochric

subsurface - cambic (Bw)

Mollisol

Oll - prarie soil rich in bases found in the midwest

surface - mollic

sub - NOT oxic/spodic

Alfisol

Alf - more strongly weathered, well developed, found in the savanna

surface - mostly ochric

sub - argillic

Ultisol

ult - #2 most weathered, low productivity, red due to iron

surface - ochric or umbric

sub - kandic

Oxisol

ox - most weathered and leached, low fertility, tropical regions

surface - ochric, sometimes umbric

sub - oxic

Vertisol

ert - due to shrink/swell clays

surface - mollic or ochric

sub - various

Aridisol

id - very dry arid climate

surface ochric

sub - various

spodosol

od - dark horizon under E

surface - histic, ochric, or umbric

sub - spodic with albic E endopedon

Histosol

ist - organic soil

surface - histic

Andisol

and - Must have PM from volcanic ash or cinders

Gelisol

el - contains permanent permafrost layer

Alfisol

What is the order for the Fine, smectitic, thermic Udertic Paleustalfs?

Ustalf

what is the suborder for Fine, smectitic, thermic Udertic Paleustalfs?

Paleustalf

what is the Great Group for Fine, smectitic, thermic Udertic Paleustalfs?

Fine, smectitic, thermic udertic Paleustalf

what is the family for Fine, smectitic, thermic Udertic Paleustalfs?

Consociation

series + texture + specific slope

complex

series +series complex => soils mixed on the landscape

Associations

series + series association => cannot separate soils

Undifferentiated gorups

series-series-series, or XXX soils => groups due to interpretations (least specific)

Land Use capability class I

best class for cultivation

land use capability class 8

worst land capability class for cultivation

erosion

subclass e for land use capability

wet/drainage

subclass w for land use capapbility

shallow

subclass s for land use capability

climate

subclass c for land use capability

Detachment, transportation, and deposition

steps of erosion

splash erosion

Erosion of soil through rainfall

Sheet erosion

a sheet of water covers the ground causing erosion

rill erosion

a shallow, narrow, ridge formed through water erosion

gully

a deep, big ridge formed through water erosion

Cover crops, tillage, contoru cultivation, strip cropping, etc…

water erosion control

Suspension

A type of wind erosion where the wind picks up the smallest of soil particles and suspends them in the air

Saltation

A type of wind erosion that picks up medium-sized particles and brings them in the air briefly, moving the particles along the ground.

soil creep

A type of wind erosion where the biggest of particles are only moved across the ground. No air-borne movement is apparant.

Soil moisture, wind barriers, cover crops

Types of wind erosion control

USLE equation

A = RKLSCP

A

Annual soil loss in USLE equation

R

rainfall in USLE equation

K

erodibility in USLE equation

L

slope length in USLE equation

S

Slope steepness in USLE equation

C

crop cover in USLE equation

P

practices to prevent erosion in USLE equation